Vehicle



3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(NO Model.)

C. H. STR'ATTON.

p VEHICLE.

l Il Jl u .Q llv v A+ v v v v QN 90 N O T T l AL Rw. Tm S.v H+ n Patented Feb. l2, 1895-.

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1l/2271727?, edv@ (No Model.) 3 heats-Sheet 3.

C.H.STRATT0N.

VEHICLE. l

No. 534,019. Patente-d Feb. 12, 1895.

r UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. S'IRATTO, ,OF BUFFALO, NEW YORK,

VEHICLE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 534,019, dated February 12, 18,95.

Application led October 16,1894. Serial No. 526,033. (No model.) v l l T all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. STRATTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at the city of Bualo, in the county of Erie and State of New York, have invented new and useful Improvements in Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to that class of vehicles in which' the seats may be shifted to convert the vehicleinto a one-seat carriage, a dos-a-dos carriage, or an ordinary two-seated carriage in which the occupants of both seats face forward.

One of the objects'of my invention is to simplify the construction of the vehicle and reduce its cost of manufacture.

The invention has the further objects to i provide the vehicle with side doors o'r panels which permit convenient access to the rear seat without the necessity of displacing the front seat, and also to provide improved means for operating the supplemental rear seat or lazyback from the tail board.

In the accompanying drawings consisting of three sheetsx-Figure l isa longitudinal section of the body of my improved vehicle, showing the same in the form ofva one-seat carriage. Fig. 2 is a similar view thereof in the form of an ordinary two-seated carriage. Fig. 3 is a similar view showing the seats in the dos a dos position. Fig. 4t is a transverse section in line @L -4, Fig. 2, looking rearward. Fig. 5 is a fragmentary transverse section, on an enlarged scale, showing one of the locking bolts of the rear lazy-back. Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the body, showing the pivoted side panel. Fig. 7 is a fragmentary perspective view of the rear portion of the body, showing the links of the rear lazy back and the means for operating the same from the tail board.

Like letters of reference refer to like parts in the several figures. f y

A represents the floor of the vehicle body, A the front panels of its sides, and A2 the rear panels thereof.4 y

B is the front seat which may be secured between the front panels, but which is preferably made movable forward and backward to a limited extent, so that the same may be shifted backward when the vehicle is used with a single seat or dos-a-dos seats,or forward when the seats are arranged for an ordinary two-seatl vehicle. This movement of the front seat may be effected by means of links or jump irons b which connect the seat bolster-s with horizontal bars or ledges b secured to the inner sides of the front panels A.

B is the back of the front seat which is preferably secured to the seat.

C is a main rear seat which is pivoted at its front edge to the upper ends of fixed standards h', as shown at c, so as to be capable of swinging into the normal backward position shown in Fig. 2, with its cushion upward, or into the forward position shown in Fig. 1, with its cushion downward and its under side upward. In

the latter position, the rear seat forms the front panel of the deck immediately in rear of the front seat, and .for this purpose the under, side of the. rear seat is suitably finished. When in its rearward position, the main rear seat is supported at its end portions upon ledges or uprights d secured to the body sills, and when in its forward position, this seat is supported on horizontal pins e projecting from the inner sides of` the stationary frontpanels.

In orderA to permit the main rear seat to clear thezfront seat in swinging. from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 3, or vice versa, the front seat is hinged at its front edge to its bolsters as shown at b2, so that the same may be swung upward and forward.

F represents a combined lazy-back, deck panel and auxiliary rear seat, the same being arranged to serve as the back of the rear seat when the occupants of both the front and rear seats face forward, as shown in Fig. 2; or as the rear deck panel when the vehicle is used with a single seat as shown in Fig. l, or as the rear seat when the seats are in the dos-a-dos position, as shown in Fig. 3. For this purpose, the lazy back is carried by links G G which are pivoted at their rear cndsto the lower edge of the lazy-back and at their front ends to horizontal bars h, as shown in Fig. 7. These bars are supported at their ends by the upright d and the leg` or standard h which latter is secured at its lower end to the bot tom sills of the vehicle body. The lazy-back, when in the normal position shown in Fig. 2, is prevented from swinging rearward beyond ICO to form the front deck panel, and the rearlazy-back is swung down in the same manner,

as shown in said figure, so as to form the rear deck panel. The rear side of the lazy-back is finished like the under side of the main rear seat to produce a smooth deck. In swinging the lazy-back into this position, it turns upon the rear pivots of the connecting links and the latter remain undisturbed.

When a vehicle with dos a dos seats is desired the main back seat is swung, cushion downward, into the position shown in Fig. l, and the rear lazy-back, after being turned down, as shown in the same figure, is reversed, or in other words is swung upward, forward and downward upon the main rear seat, bringing its rear side against the under side of the main rear seat and its cushion upward, as shown in Fig. 3, thus forming an auxiliary rear seat, the occupants of which face rearward. During this movement of the auxiliary seat, the latter and the links swing upon the front pivots of the links. In this position of the auxiliary seat the rear side of the fixed lazy-back of the front seat forms a back for the auxiliary seat, the front lazy back being for this purpose upholstered both on its front and rear sides.

In order to facilitate the reversal of the lazy-back from the position shown in Fig. l, to that shown in Fig. 3, the same is interlocked near its free end with the links G by a suitable catch before shifting the same. This catch preferably consists of two horizontally sliding bolts I guided in eyes t' secured to the front sides of the lazy-back, under its cushion, as shown in Fig. It, and engaging with their outer ends in openings t formed in thelinks, as shown in Fig. 5. These bolts are operated by an upright hand lever J which is pivoted to the front side of the lazy back and with which the inner ends of the bolts are connected on opposite sides of the 5o lever pivot.

i2 is a spring secured at one end to the hand lever J and at its opposite end to the lazy back and tending to swing the lever in the proper direction to project the sliding bolts into their locking position. The outer ends of the locking bolts are beveled and the adjacent inner sides of the connecting links are correspondingly beveled, so that upon swinging the lazy back down between the links, the projected bolts are retracted in riding over the beveled portions of the links and, upon arriving opposite the openings in the links, are moved into the same by the reaction of the spring i2, thus forming an automatic lock. The front or upper portion of the lazy back is released from the links by moving the hand lever in the proper direction to withdraw the sliding bolts from the link-openings.

K is -the tail board which is hinged to the rear end of the body in awell known manner.

The rear lazy-back may be operated independently of the hinged tail board, in the manner hereinbefore described, but the same is preferably so combined with the tail board, that the opening movement of the latter causes the lazy back to be swung from the panel-position shown in Fig. l, to the dos-ados posi-tion shown in Fig. 3. This action is effected by the following means:

L represents one of a pair of lifting arms or levers pivoted at their upper ends to the supporting bars h, in front of the front pivots of the links G, and each having a bent or olfset portion Z adapted to bear against the under side of the adjacent link, so that the rearward movement of such levers causes the same to swing the links andthe lazy backupward and forward.

m represents chains or other suitable connections extending from the lower ends of the lifting levers L to the upper portion of the hinged tail board and passing over guide rollers m journaled at the upper ends of the uprights d. By this construction, the opening movement of the tail board causes the lifting levers to be swung rearward into the position shown in Fig. 3. These lifting levers are so formed and made of such a length that when the tail board is fully opened, the levers swing the links and the lazy-back upward and forward slightly beyond a perpendicular position, so as to cause the lazy-back to complete its forward and downward movement by gravity. i

When the lazyback or auxiliary seat is shifted from the dos a dos position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 1, the links, coming in contact with the elevated lifting levers, swing the latter downward to their former position, causing the same to close the tail board through the medium of the connections m. The tail board is thus automatically closed by the movement of the lazy-back or auxiliary seat, and the latter is in turn automatically operated by the opening movement of the tail board.

By utilizing the rear lazy-back for the threefold purpose of a back for the main rear seat, a rear deck panel and an auxiliary rear or dos a dos seat, a separate auxiliary rear scat is dispensed with and a closed deck is at the same time obtained from the front seat to the rear end of the body when the vehicle is used with a single seat. A material saving in the cost of manufacture is thus effected.

The rear side panels A2 of the vehicle body extend to the rear edges of the fixed front panels, so as to form rearward continuations thereof, and such rear panels are preferably pivoted near their rear end to fixed portions of the body, as shown at n in Fig. 6, so that they may be swung upward into the position IOO IIO

' in the rear portion of the panels.

indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 6, for forming entrance passages to the rear seat when the seats are yshifted for anl ordinary twoseated vehicle. In the construction shownin thedrawings, the horizontal pivots n of these side' panels are secured to Iixed upright bars n and pass outward through openings formed This construction forms closed sides in the ordinary condition of the vehicle and permits the rear seat to be reached without the necessity of swinging the front seat forward or otherwise displacing it.

I claim `as my invention- 1. The combination with the vehicle body having a front seat and a rear seat, of a lazy back for said rear seat arranged to swing forward and downward for forming a deck panel and capable of reversal from the latter position to a position immediately in rear of the front seat for forming an auxiliary rearseat, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination with the vehicle body having a rear seat, of a carrying link pivoted at one end to the body, and a lazyback for the rear seat jpivoted to the opposite end of said link, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination with the vehicle body having a front seat and a main rear seat hinged at its front portion to the body and `capable of swinging forward and downward for forming a front deck panel, and a lazy back for the main rear seat pivoted to the body by a double joint, whereby the lazy-back is capable of swinging forward and downward for forming a rear deck panel and of being reversed from the latter position to a position above the main rear seat, for forming an aux iliary rear seat, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination with the vehicle body having front and rear seats, of links pivoted at their front portions to the body, a-lazy-back for the rear seat pivoted to the rear ends of said links, and a catch for connecting the free or upper portion of said lazy back with said links, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination with the vehicle body and the front and rear seats, of links pivoted at their front ends to the body, a lazy back for the rear seat pivoted to the rear ends of said links, sliding bolts guided on said lazy back and adapted to interlock with said links, and a hand lever mounted on said lazy-'back and connected with said sliding bolts, substantially as set forth.

6. .The combination with the vehicle body and the front and rear seats, of perforated links pivoted at their front ends to the body, a lazy-back for the rear seat pivoted to the rear ends of said links, sliding bolts guided on said lazy back and having beveled outer ends adaptedto enter the perforations of said links, a hand lever mounted on said lazy back and connected with said bolts, and a spring whereby said bolts are projected, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination with the vehicle body having front and rear seats and a pivoted tail board, of a link pivoted to the body,a lazyV back for the rear seat pivoted to the rear end of said link, a lifting lever pivoted to the body and operating against said link, and a connection extending from` said lever to the tail board, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination with the Vehicle body having fixed rear seat-standards, of a rear seat attached to said standards, and vertically swinging rear panels` arranged on opposite sides of therear seat and capable of being raised or lowered without distubing said seat, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination With the vehicle body having front and rear seats, and stationary front panels, of stationary supporting bars or frames secured to the bottom sills of the body independently of the sides thereof, horizontal pivots projecting from said frames, and vertically swinging rear panels mounted on said pivots and forming rearward continuations of the front panels, substantially as set forth.

Witness my hand this 12th day of October, 

